# Solar Installers



## ewashkow

Does anyone know of a local company that will actually come out and look at your property to determine if you would be a good canidate for solar?  The reason I ask is the only companies I have been able to find will just pull up a picture from google earth that is at least 2 years old and decline me even though much has changed since then.

Thanks!


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## hvp05

Why not take some photos and e-mail or upload them somewhere?  :shrug:


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## roadrunnermoore

ewashkow said:


> Does anyone know of a local company that will actually come out and look at your property to determine if you would be a good canidate for solar?  The reason I ask is the only companies I have been able to find will just pull up a picture from google earth that is at least 2 years old and decline me even though much has changed since then.
> 
> Thanks!




Solar Tech Inc


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## getbent

We had some people come to our office for that specific reason.  It may be the same people above.  I'll look for the info tomorrow.  If it's a different company, I'll let you know.


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## ylexot

I'd still like to see some real world numbers from an actual installation in the area.  For example:
System size
System cost
Credits received that offset the cost
Actual total energy generated over a year


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## tinroofsundae

My solar electric system is being installed next week.  It is 20kW, by Solar Solution, based in Washington DC.  By my calculations I will break even in less than 6 years.  Tax free.  And have enough electricity to power an electric car.  There are other installers, some more established and reputable than others.  Stay away from "national" companies with little experience in our region.  Email me and I'll send you a six page summary of everything you need to know.


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## itsbob

MarylandMark said:


> I found most of the "sell back to the utility what you don't need" hype to be just that, hype.



Not only is it hype, but it's not allowed in MD.. 

I can't imagine a solar system big enough to take you totally off of the grid without major life changes, or an acre of "tracking" solar panels in your yard.


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## calvert_biker

Check out Astrum Solar - our neighbors here in Calvert County are featured on their website, and there are a lot of details about cost, etcetera.

I have had a few meetings with them, but we can't afford the upfront cost right now.

From my understanding of the rules and regulations, the previous poster's comment about selling back excess capacity being illegal in MD doesn't ring true - but I am a solar novice still.

I would speak directly with a referral client before taking anything a sales rep says at face value as well.  Good luck!


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## ylexot

According to the calculator on their website, a 10kW system would cost $50k minus $20k in government tax credits and grants and would take 10+ years to pay for itself.  No thanks.

BTW, why doesn't anyone scream that those subsidies are tax breaks for the rich?  It's not like the poor/middle class can afford to pay $30k now to start saving money ten years from now.


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## thatguy

ylexot said:


> According to the calculator on their website, a 10kW system would cost $50k minus $20k in government tax credits and grants and would take 10+ years to pay for itself.  No thanks.
> 
> BTW, why doesn't anyone scream that those subsidies are tax breaks for the rich?  It's not like the poor/middle class can afford to pay $30k now to start saving money ten years from now.



ever hear of a loan?

_IF_ that 10Kw unit takes you totally off the grid, then your electric bill has been eliminated. You put that towards the loan payment..... seems doable for a middle class family _IF_ the system actually gets you off the grid.


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## thatguy

itsbob said:


> Well.. just using estimates.. A house uses between 20 - 40 kWh a day, and since we average <= 6 hours of sun a day you'd need between an 80 - 160 kWh system.
> 
> Again, pure estimates.. 100 Sq foot of Solar Panel = 1 kW and at the low end you may need an 80 kW system, you'd be looking at 8000 sq feet of solar panel and $$$$.
> 
> Of course the rest is based on percentages.. A 10 kW system will reduce your electric usage by about 2.5 kW per day, or <=10%.  In most cases 10% of your electric bill would be in the $20 - $30 range.  What would the payments be?



and thats why i put the IF in italics........ its a pretty big if


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## ylexot

thatguy said:


> ever hear of a loan?
> 
> _IF_ that 10Kw unit takes you totally off the grid, then your electric bill has been eliminated. You put that towards the loan payment..... seems doable for a middle class family _IF_ the system actually gets you off the grid.



That 10kW unit would be close, but not enough to get off the grid...if it generated 10kW 24/7 (not even close).  Plus, you cannot actually get off the grid unless you also have storage batteries ($$$).  With that system, you'd have to sell the power to SMECO (it is legal, itsbob) during the day when you're at work and the solar system is actually doing something.  Then you have to buy it back from them when you're home...at a higher rate, of course.  Also, the monthly loan payment would be ~1.5x my electric bill.  So again, it is not for the poor/middle class.


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## thatguy

ylexot said:


> That 10kW unit would be close, but not enough to get off the grid...if it generated 10kW 24/7 (not even close).  Plus, you cannot actually get off the grid unless you also have storage batteries ($$$).  With that system, you'd have to sell the power to SMECO (it is legal, itsbob) during the day when you're at work and the solar system is actually doing something.  Then you have to buy it back from them when you're home...at a higher rate, of course.  Also, the monthly loan payment would be ~1.5x my electric bill.  So again, it is not for the poor/middle class.



I guess that depends on the length of the loan, but just a quick estimate from your numbers puts the payment  close to my average electric bill. Of course this is all moot if the system doens't actually eliminate your electric bill (or close to it). Add to that the upkeep and any additonaly unforseen costs and you are probably losing money.

Beleive me, if i thought it would pay i would have already gone this route, i just dont see it happening.


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## itsbob

ylexot said:


> That 10kW unit would be close, but not enough to get off the grid...if it generated 10kW 24/7 (not even close).  Plus, you cannot actually get off the grid unless you also have storage batteries ($$$).  With that system, you'd have to sell the power to SMECO (it is legal, itsbob) during the day when you're at work and the solar system is actually doing something.  Then you have to buy it back from them when you're home...at a higher rate, of course.  Also, the monthly loan payment would be ~1.5x my electric bill.  So again, it is not for the poor/middle class.



I remember talking to a wind turbine company a few years back (prior to Erhlich I believe) and I SWEAR I remember them telling me I wouldn't be allowed to sell back un-used energy.

At the time MD was one of very few states that didn't allow it.


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## willie

itsbob said:


> I remember talking to a wind turbine company a few years back (prior to Erhlich I believe) and I SWEAR I remember them telling me I wouldn't be allowed to sell back un-used energy.
> 
> At the time MD was one of very few states that didn't allow it.


https://www.smeco.coop/energy/netmeter/index.htm


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## covekat

My husbands company installs solar, even without going off the grid you can eliminate your electric bill.  Usually your payoff is the amount of your electric bill over the course of 5-6 years.  You can not sell excess energy, but can sell your energy credits.

One of our local jobs is Fresh Meadows (Bay Equine) in Huntingtown.


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## Bay_Kat

I love, love, love solar.  I have solar heat for my pool and solar lighting. I'm going to go all out solar soon.  I do live in the sunshine state, so it's really easy for me. I am amazed at the things the sun can do.  Not sure how that would work in Maryland remembering sometimes there are days with no sun at all.


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## DoWhat

Bay_Kat said:


> I'm going to go all out solar soon.



Until your Husband comes home.


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## Bay_Kat

DoWhat said:


> Until your Husband comes home.


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## covekat

Bay_Kat said:


> I love, love, love solar.  I have solar heat for my pool and solar lighting. I'm going to go all out solar soon.  I do live in the sunshine state, so it's really easy for me. I am amazed at the things the sun can do.  Not sure how that would work in Maryland remembering sometimes there are days with no sun at all.



We did installs in Huntingtown during the winter, and our customers eliminated their electric bill the first month (even when it snowed).  Two years later and still a zero electric bill!  If the right system is designed they work!


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## EmptyTimCup

I would need to cover the back yard in solar panels and spend 60k or higher to get off the grid


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## roadrunnermoore

ewashkow said:


> Does anyone know of a local company that will actually come out and look at your property to determine if you would be a good canidate for solar?  The reason I ask is the only companies I have been able to find will just pull up a picture from google earth that is at least 2 years old and decline me even though much has changed since then.
> 
> Thanks!



SolarCity, They just finished with my system. Waiting for SMECO to change my meter, so I can turn them on.  They came out and put meters on my roof to measure the intensity of the sun.

SolarCity: Affordable Solar Power


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## covekat

You are renting the system, you will never own it, isnt that how SolarCity works?  It doesnt make sense, they are putting your roof to work for them... they get the to sell the SRECS too, not you.

All reputable companies will measure your access to sunlight, it's called a Pathfinder.  You have to have a certain percentage to be eligible for grants...oh wait, you dont get those either do you?  

As far as servicing your panels, and monitoring your roof, yep, you guessed it, reputable solar companies will do that too.  Solar panels have a guarantee of 25 yrs, free replacement if something goes wrong. 

It looks like a typical savings per month for a customer of Solar City is $30 bucks for a typical 3 bedroom house (according to their website).  

We have customers who's grants have paid for half of their systems in *cash,* and their systems will be paid in full in a couple of years.  So that equates to years and years of ZERO electric bills.

Biggest rip off out there IMO.


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## BadGirl

roadrunnermoore said:


> SolarCity, They just finished with my system. Waiting for SMECO to change my meter, so I can turn them on.  They came out and put meters on my roof to measure the intensity of the sun.
> 
> SolarCity: Affordable Solar Power



We spoke at length with SolarCity yesterday to see about putting one of their systems on our house.

In short, it is costly.   To make a dent in our monthly electrical expense, we were offered a system for an initial out-of-pocket expense of $11,000, which would reduce our monthly SMECO bill by about 1/3.  Obviously, there are other details to their proposal that I don't recall off of the top of my head.  But I don't know about anybody else, but coming up with $11,000 right now isn't an option.    They do have a "no-money-down" option, but that only reduces our electric bill by about $8 per month.  

But the thing that most puzzles me is that with solar panels, they must be disengaged/deactivated during a heavy storm.  So, when you most need the power, it is unavailable to you during a power outage.  Makes no damn sense........


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## covekat

Badgirl, they are a ripoff.  They make their money off of your roof, instead of you.


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## BadGirl

covekat said:


> Badgirl, they are a ripoff.  They make their money off of your roof, instead of you.


So, what does your system offer?  And at what price?  Are your solar panels available during power outages?


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## Baja28

covekat said:


> Badgirl, they are a ripoff.  They make their money off of your roof, instead of you.


So what is your initial out of pocket expense for a 3 bedroom house?


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## BadGirl

You know something else:  I am always leery of businesses that bad mouth another company.

If your business is superior to another company, tell me why that is so.  Don't blacklist the other company without being able to substantiate your claim.   Tell me why you are so much better than any other choice out there.


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## Baja28

BadGirl said:


> You know something else:  I am always leery of businesses that bad mouth another company.
> 
> If your business is superior to another company, tell me why that is so.  Don't blacklist the other company without being able to substantiate your claim.   Tell me why you are so much better than any other choice out there.


Wow.  She disappeared once we asked about price.


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## covekat

Call All In Energy Solutions for a free home estimate, it's impossible to give an estimate without seeing a years worth of electric bills for an average of your costs, and the location of your house.

If you look at what SolarCity offers, $8 bucks a month off, verses a system you will own within 5 yrs, plus 30% of the total cost of the system coming back to you in cash within 6 weeks after installation, plus another $5000 from the State it's pretty simple to see which program makes sense.  Then there are energy credits to sell, and tax breaks...that other company offers zilch, because they own the system, you just rent it from them.


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## roadrunnermoore

covekat said:


> Call All In Energy Solutions for a free home estimate, it's impossible to give an estimate without seeing a years worth of electric bills for an average of your costs, and the location of your house.
> 
> If you look at what SolarCity offers, $8 bucks a month off, verses a system you will own within 5 yrs, plus 30% of the total cost of the system coming back to you in cash within 6 weeks after installation, plus another $5000 from the State it's pretty simple to see which program makes sense.  Then there are energy credits to sell, and tax breaks...that other company offers zilch, because they own the system, you just rent it from them.



So far I've saved about $50 a month.  Not bad for just letting them put panels on my roof, I wasn't using it anyway.  And I didn't have to pay $10,000 for them. As covekat says, I don't own them. So if there is ever a problem, I don't have to fix them either.   Oh well, just my opinion. It works for me, because I didn't have upfront cash to spend, or enough extra cash to finance a system. So this worked perfect for me.    

SolarCity: Affordable Solar Power


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